Richard Tighe saw taking over at James Madison as a reclamation project.

Before the PSAL girls soccer season moved to the fall three seasons ago the Knights were one of the top Class A teams in Brooklyn. The last two years have been rough ones, as Madison won just one game during that span. It dropped down to the ‘B’ league this year and began to find new life under the first-year coach, who was a long time referee and coach of the Sheepshead Bay boys club.

“The first thing I had to convince them was that I knew what I was doing and they would learn to play soccer and they would be a better team,” Tighe said.

Not only have the second-seeded Knights improved, but they are a win away from a championship after beating No. 6 Newcomers, 2-0, in the PSAL Class B semifinals Friday morning at Abraham Lincoln. Madison advances to play division rival and No. 2 Telecommunications 9 a.m. Sunday on Randall’s Island in the final.

Leading scorer Ana Beriashvili tallied the game’s first goal off a cross from Katherine Chirinos midway through the second half. Her shot banked off one post to the other and finally in. Chirinos netted the insurance goal 10 minutes into the second half. She controlled a pass at the top of the box from Xochil Garcia and took a hard shot that the heavy winds guided into the goal. Newcomers ends the year 10-3-1.

“The ball bounced and I think it went a little faster to the side than the keeper expected and it kind of went over her hands,” Tighe said.

In order to win Madison (12-2-0) needed to stop one of the PSAL’s best scorers in Newcomers junior Anamaria Amaya. Tighe put Jasmine Fermin on her and she was able to shut her down. Tighe called her one of the league’s must underrated players. He said at one point she stole a ball in the Madison end, dribbled through five defenders and ripped a shot that ended up just wide late in the game.

“She really limited what the kid did today,” Tighe said. “She is fast as lightning. She is really strong on the ball.”

The Madison program is back on the rise again, starting with a win over Telecom early in the season, before losing the next two meetings. Win or lose the final, Tighe feels pride has been restored and the hope is to return to the ‘A’ league in the future.

“The importance to me is winning helps you build a program,” Tighe said. “That to me is what is really gratifying. Now the kids actually believe.”

Telecommunications 5, Baruch 1: Sayla Flores tallied two goals and two assists and Linda Tiu scored twice for No. 1 Telecom (13-1-0) in the PSAL Class B semifinals. Leticia Cuautle added a goal and Giselle Sanchez and Laura Ashley Pfeifer each chipped in an assist. Telecom scored four goals after being tied 1-1 at the half.

“They reached down low and picked it up and decided that they wanted this game,” Yellow Jackets coach Charles Young said. “They worked hard.”

He said he talked long and hard to his team at halftime stressing this could be their last game if they didn’t pick it up. Cuautle immediately opened the second period with a goal and got them on their way. Non-scorers like Cuautle and Tiu, a defensive midfielder, stepped up and picked up goals. No. 5 Baruch finishes 10-3-0.

“Today I told her we needed her offensive power and she stepped it up,” Young said of Tiu.